Chapter 31: How dare you snatch silver from me?

What... what on earth is this? How could something like this appear here?!
Could it be... that she opened the curtain the wrong way?
Ming Xi hurriedly clutched her chest, forced herself to remain calm, closed the curtain, and then pulled it open again. The result remained the same:
A giant, dragon-like magical beast, ten meters tall, was staring intently at them from outside the carriage. To Ming Xi, the creature looked just like the evil dragons from 21st-century Western fairy tales. It was wreathed in crackling lightning, clearly a thunder-attribute summon, and its fierce gaze seemed as though it could unleash rolls of thunder at any moment!
Ming Xi could hardly believe that the scene before her was real!
You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Is the next chapter of her life supposed to be her becoming a princess captured by an evil dragon in a Western fairy tale, locked in a cage waiting for a prince to rescue her?!
Please, can we not be so ridiculous? This is an Eastern continent!
"Miss, no need to doubt your eyes. You saw correctly. This is a high-level thunder-attribute summon, the Yaolong! A Yaolong that could crush your carriage with a single foot, and send you to the afterlife with a single bolt of lightning!"
Suddenly, a bizarre voice came from directly in front of the carriage. Ming Xi snapped her head around to see a group of unrefined, rough-looking men blocking their path, each one looking more menacing than the last.
If Ming Xi’s judgment was correct, these were the standard-issue bandits one encounters on every mountain!
In her previous life, Ming Xi had grown up in the mountains of the Ming Dynasty in China, so she was no stranger to bandits. But... this was her first time seeing someone rob people in such a boorish manner!
"Miss, let’s skip the pleasantries. There are rules to crossing these mountains! Hand over whatever valuables you have, and be quick about it," the bandit leader said, getting straight to the point.
"Mother, what are these uncles doing? Why do they want our valuables? We only have five hundred taels of silver and nothing else. Do they want us to give them the silver?" Xiaotong whispered.
"Give them the silver? Heh, the person who dares to snatch silver from me hasn't been born yet! Son, stay here and don't make a sound. Mother will go out and handle them!" Ming Xi said, gently patting Xiaotong’s head before stepping out of the carriage alone.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to look back and reiterate, "Remember, my sweet, adorable son, do not make a sound!"
"Okay! Don't worry, Mother!"
Ming Xi nodded and walked toward the bandits.
To say Ming Xi was calm would be a lie. In the 500 years of her previous life, she had earned her living through the painstaking work of thievery, yet these guys were just brazenly robbing people!
Moreover... she couldn't afford to be forceful with this lot. If a conflict broke out, even if she could escape, what would happen to Xiaotong?
She had no choice but to bite the bullet and face the bandit leader alone.
"So, that magical beast has a master! Thank goodness it has a master... otherwise, something this huge would be enough to scare someone to death!" Ming Xi said, intentionally playing along.
Everything was negotiable. Since she lacked the strength to fight these thugs directly, this was her only path.
"That goes without saying! Being a bandit isn't easy, you know. If we didn't contract such an intimidating summon to threaten travelers, how would we make any money? Now, Miss, hurry up and hand over your valuables. Let's make this easy, otherwise—" The bandit drew his scimitar, and the Yaolong behind him let out a low growl in sync with its master.
Ming Xi knew that the consequences of resisting... would be unthinkable.
Inside the carriage, Xiaotong quietly lifted the curtain to observe the situation. Seeing how menacing the men were, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for his mother.
Facing the threats of these thugs, Ming Xi could only offer a flattering smile.
She did have valuables, of course—the five hundred taels in silver notes and her spear, Chiming.
But!
She was used to stealing other people's silver, but no one had ever successfully robbed her!
These thugs would be no exception!
Ming Xi forced a smile and said, "I have already brought out the most valuable thing I have~"
"Hmm? What is it?" The bandits were confused. They saw her come out empty-handed; how could she claim to have already presented her most valuable possession?
Before the thieves could question her, Ming Xi unfastened her belt right in front of them, letting her snow-white skin be exposed in large patches. The sight caused the bandits to start bleeding from their noses instantly!
They had been so focused on the money that they had forgotten the person they were robbing was a woman of considerable beauty!
Not stopping there, Ming Xi pulled her collar downward, revealing her collarbones without reservation.
The bandits gulped, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets as they stared fixedly at her body.
Inside the carriage, Xiaotong was stunned. To protect her child and their travel funds, his mother was actually... willing to sacrifice her dignity?!
"Dear bosses, I have truly brought out the most precious thing I own~ Don't you think I, myself, am worth something?" The coquettish tone made even Ming Xi want to gag, but it sounded incredibly alluring to the men.
"Worth it! Definitely worth it! Miss, you yourself are the most valuable thing here!" The bandits drooled, unable to help themselves as they closed in on Ming Xi. One of them grabbed her hand, stroking it lecherously. "Miss, your hands are so cold. Do you need this old man to warm them up for you? Once I warm them up, you'll feel better!"
"Of course I do~ Actually, my whole body is quite cold."
Though she spoke the words, Ming Xi narrowed her eyes, thinking to herself: *Dare to try and rob a fox spirit of her silver? Just wait until I finish off the lot of you!*